论资源依赖型产业集群的提升——以江苏省东海县硅资源产业发展为例

资源型企业在资源富集地区具有空间集群现象。资源依赖型产业集群发展一般要经历起步期、成长期、转型期和蜕变期四个阶段。在转型期,产业的发展有两个走向:一是由于资源开发殆尽,产业走向衰落;二是由于注意到资源的可持续利用,并及时实现技术转型,产业竞争力得以提升。江苏省东海县硅资源产业是资源依赖型产业集群的一个典型。     

随机模糊神经网络模型预测铁水硅含量

该文在考虑了具有模糊化和非模糊化的模糊逻辑系统用于高炉铁水含硅量[Si]时各种噪声干扰的同时,把模糊数学理论和随机系统理论结合在一起,建立了一种新的高炉铁水含硅量[Si]的智能预报模型,该模型是由非单值模糊化、模糊规则库、模糊推理机、特殊非模糊化构成的随机模糊神经网络逻辑系统.通过结合莱钢1号高炉实时在线采集的生产数据,进行仿真研究,结果表明,该套模型能够很好地预测高炉铁水含硅量[Si].     

污泥资源化利用标准发展趋势探讨

对比各种污泥处理处置方式,污泥资源化利用是有巨大发展前途的一种,是提高污泥资源化水平、促进循环经济和可持续发展、建立节约型社会的有效手段。通过对现行污泥利用标准的分析和与国外相关法规及标准的对比,结合我国污泥的产生、理化性质等特征,讨论了现行标准存在的不足,探讨了未来的发展趋势。     

大型企业增长过快对我国消费和就业的不利影响

资本有机构成的提高,造成了劳动所得所占份额的相对减少,从而使得消费性需求相对不足,阻碍了经济稳定增长。我国大型企业的资本有机构成,无论从绝对数量还是从增长率上看都要高于中小企业,这种现象在工业企业中表现的尤为突出,而在建筑业和第三产业中则不是特别明显。所以我国有必要大力促进中小企业的发展,促进第三产业的发展,以防止我国出现最终产品的使用结构失调和就业不足的现象,从而保证经济稳定高速的增长。     

Organic Food at the Point of Purchase: Understanding Inconsistency in Consumer Choice Patterns

The organic food category, while still small in terms of world food production, has continued to grow in many markets in the developed world. This article focuses on understanding the barriers and facilitators to purchasing organic food at the final hurdle: the point of purchase (POP). A qualitative study has identified seven factors that influence buyer behavior at the POP, and these are consumer intention to purchase organic food when entering the retail outlet; habit; availability; false assumptions; visibility and access of organic food; visual and olfactory cues; and price. These can often be the final hurdle to consumers choosing (or not) organic food at the POP.     

Are international environmental policies effective? The case of the Rotterdam and the Stockholm Conventions

This is the first paper to show that participation in an international environmental agreement has some effectiveness. Our identification strategy consists of applying difference-in-differences techniques in a panel data framework to various levels of data aggregation. We find that ratification of the Rotterdam Convention (RC) and the Stockholm Convention (SC) leads to a reduction in trade of hazardous substances from OECD to non-OECD countries. In particular, we find that when the exporter ratifies the RC, there is a reduction in the import of hazardous chemicals of about 7 percent. In the case of the SC, the results show significant reductions of around 16 percent in trade shipments of persistent organic pollutants. This reduction is more than double the effect found for the RC, which was expected due to a more restricted obligation imposed by the SC convention.     

Factors Influencing Organic and Fair Trade Coffee Growers Level of Engagement with Cooperatives: The Case of Coffee Farmers in Mexico

We study the factors influencing the percentage of organic and fair trade certified coffee sold through a cooperative by growers of five cooperatives in Mexico. The percentage of coffee sold through the cooperative was used as a proxy of growers’ engagement with a cooperative. Using factor analysis and a fractional probit regression, we evaluated the proposition that the level of engagement can be explained by transaction cost economics, social norms and connections, and farmer and farm business characteristics. We found that farm size, uncertainty regarding cooperative time of payment to the members and cooperative commitment on price to be paid negatively influence the level of engagement. In contrast, asset specificity, relational commitment, and price have a positive impact on engagement. Our results may help cooperatives and policy makers to build strategies aiming to increase this level of engagement. This is relevant because lower grower engagement has been found to be positively correlated with weak performing cooperatives.     

USDA Certification of Food as Organic: An Investigation of Consumer Beliefs about the Health Benefits of Organic Food

Back in 2002, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented the final national standards and began certifying foods as having met the criterion in the production, handling, and processing of organically grown agricultural products. Consumers began seeing the USDA seal displayed as well as, the word “certified” and various levels of organic content on the front display panel of the product. The USDA stresses that the organic standard and label requirements do not imply organic foods are healthier. This research analyzes possible implications of consumers incorrectly inferring that food products with the USDA-organic certification label are healthier than food products without that certification.     

The effect of information on consumers' willingness to pay for natural and organic chicken

This study examined the effect of definitions for organic and natural on willingness to pay a premium for organic over natural chicken. Data were collected using surveys and experimental auctions that were conducted before and after information was presented. Before information, approximately two‐thirds of participants inaccurately equated the requirements of natural with those for organic. After information, nearly 50% increased their premium, while 30% decreased their premium. Logistic regression results showed that consumers who had overestimated the requirements for natural were most likely to have an increased premium after information, with significantly higher bids for organic. For those who decreased their premium after information, awareness of consuming genetically modified (GM) foods was a key variable. The non‐genetically modified (non‐GM) requirement of organic appears to be of low value to some consumers. Overall, consumer confusion regarding organic and natural standards may be having substantial impacts on the two markets.